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Texans’ Bill O’Brien says Sam Darnold ‘has a great future’ in the NFL

The New York Jets fell short against the Houston Texans on Saturday night. However, it appears quarterback Sam Darnold has earned the respect of head coach Bill O’Brien.

Darnold enjoyed a stellar outing versus the Texans. According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, O’Brien had high praise for the rookie:

“Great performance. He has a great future in this league. He didn’t do anything that surprised me.” Praised his ability to “keep plays alive, to take a hit and keep coming, ability to get the ball downfield.”

O’Brien is among the bevy of coaches that have praised Darnold’s skill set this season. His comments certainly carry plenty of weight considering he was able to find his franchise quarterback in Deshaun Watson last year. It is clear that both players display many of the similar qualities it takes to become a bonafide star at the position.

Darnold solidified that notion with a strong performance in Week 15. The rookie did all he could to put the Jets in position to potentially secure a victory. He completed 24-of-38 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns. Perhaps even more impressive is the spectacular fashion in which he did it with. Although the Jets ultimately came up short, it is clear that they have secured a franchise quarterback for years to come.

It is no secret that this has been a whirlwind 2018 NFL season for Darnold. while he is far from a finished product, a lot of his struggles can be attributed to the lackluster supporting cast on offense. It is safe to assume the Jets will try and surround him with as many weapons as possible moving forward.